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Well since Saturday I have flown The "Solus". Saturday was Very High Winds. Sunday you saw the video of the small flyiong window. Wind was lousy.

Today I spent some hours flying. The wind shifted a couple times. But it was practice,practice,practice as usual...

I can only say the tricks I have been learning have completed better on the Solus than Widow Maker. However,that does not mean they won't do better once I have done them a while with the Solus.

One kite can do something easier than another,but you can transfer.

I flew Norm, you and Little Creep-O watch... and be cool with the comments

A few Koodoo's on the Grips video .....

It's cut down. I left many,many,many attempted failures out of the video... A few nice combos.. I do a FFF only half way and finish with a 540... I do it once then again but fail... My flying is getting better. Soon no more Novice...

Again, the 'sausage straps' are nice. Especially if you move the extra stuff around and put the equalizers on them.

Some feedback. Call me picky but there's something here, that I've mentioned earlier, that still hasn't changed over the course of 2 years. When you're pulling the lines back to increase pressure on the sail before you dump it all for the flare, you're STILL moving forward. Please try to not move forward, and you're being counter productive with the kite. The point is to increase pressure, and dump it all. When you pull back to increase pressure, and walk forward at the same time, you're canceling some of that out, and the flare A- doesn't look as clean, and B- often isn't completely parallel to the ground. Just stand in one place before the flare. I know the wind was high, but you move forward even in low wind, and you don't need to.

Also, when you're unrolling the kite from the overrotated flare, you don't need to move forward either. All you need to do in UNROLL the kite. Meaning consistent pressure on the bridle/sail to move the kite back out of the 3/4 roll, and when it moves PAST THE FLARE into fade, then start to give slack. Keeping constant pressure on the kite as it unrolls will A- keep the speed consistent and B- control the kite from bobbling side to side during the unroll, which looks very messy. It isn't a pop to unroll the kite, its a sweep, followed by slack to transition the kite, Widowmaker or Solus, to the fade for the next FFF (or whatever you'd like to call the trick in question ).

Still looking better, it's nice to see you flying the Solus again. We're going to have some fun in a few weeks. Chris says Hi, and he's looking forward to seeing you too. You'll nail it soon, I think you just need to keep experimenting with inputs and see whats what. I feel like when you learn something, you learn it one way with one input style, and don't move from it. It's all about some constant give and take, especially with a kite that demands a certain way of doing things, like the Solus.

let me know if that makes sence. I'm not saying DO IT THIS WAY, etc, I'm just giving you ideas on what I do, personally, to control the trick, and make it look a bit cleaner. The small things matter, especially in comp. If I were judging you in novice and I saw the trick that bobbled, wasn't consistent speed wise throughout the rotations that you did, etc, I'd dock you for execution. We'll work out avoiding that problem in the future.

I am blaming the wind. Yes, It was pulling me everywhere yesterday. I need 6 mph for at least 3 hours. Hopefully today.

The one part of the video where I am pulled everywhere. I do four in a row but as you can see No video. But separate inputs. I am also watching how far I hold my arms behind my back. I notice my disability is coming into play... Can't get my arms back even. Left won't go back as it should. I don't always through my arms out evenly..

I don't plan on moving so much in the future. Going to hold the second fade longer before going for number three.

A lot of times I do power the kite down and pop it to loose the pull ... but not always.

The Finger Straps are a Huge help. For the record. I have a few physical disabilities. My left arm has a few problems in the shoulder area. and muscular damage. I don't have full range. My left hand has feeling damage in the palm and index finger.

Norm has worked with me to solve that problem. He hand made the Finger straps. Which are perfect for me.

Since I never commented on your flying before I can give you some tips or more like suggestions:

1. When I first started to learn to trick I did run like you forward to fade. Since the wind is less in the corners try fading in the corners. It will require less movement. All your tricks are in the central window at 45*. If the wind is above 10 mph ... trick the corners. Less effort.

2. Use shorter lines. Get away from this AKA mentality of needing 90' or 100' lines. I fly 50 foot and sometimes 60 foot if I need more air speed. Less line ... less air ... and quicker tricks. Buy a 50 foot X 90# line. See what happens. It may be too difficult for you at this point in your learning curve but try it. If you like it buy 50' X 50#.

3. The 540 and fade are low wind tricks ... so when the wind picks up go with a vented kite.

4. Try to stay with one kite and your trick learning will increase ... if you keep jumping from kite to kite your trick learning curve will take more time.

5. Buy a Fearless or a Transformer - Light Vented for Christmas. Small inputs are nice.

wow, i wish it wasn't 3am! adx i need to thank you for that explaination! the increased pressure/dump description made perfect sense to me. i have only made 2 flares successfully and couldn't understand why. i have been flying straight down but not pulling to get more pressure so the kite would pop up on its own quickly(chicken $h*t). now if my field just had lights and wind at 3am

i just want to get 2 tricks figured out before i fly with u again vertigo

There are so many ways to fly a stunt kite. I remember a couple years back Jim Byrne was flying and prefers 30' lines when he flies his Deep Space and other kites. He told me "I like my kites in close." I prefer the same thing but not that close. I prefer 50' X 50# lines in low winds say up to 5-6 mph. I switch to 90# only when I know my Light or standard models will bust the 50# with higher winds - I find the lines smoother when I start crossing the lines, etc. with 50# - I just like low winds and HATE high wind flying say above 10 mph. You are improving but start thinking about going to ONE kite and buy the full suite (SUL, UL, Standard and Vent). Sell the rest. Know this kite model inside/out. Watch your progression improve. I only mention this as you are becoming impatient in your skills progression. There are many opinions out there - but this is mine and its worked wonders for me. It does help greatly to have beach winds - but your flying area looks adequate. One last story - About two years Ron G and Will Sturdy tried a Fearless I was flying - as they were doing their trick combinations about a minute into the routine ... wing tip wrap/crash ... after another minute ... same deal. These great pilots are use to THEIR kites ... once they moved to another kite ... their muscle memory inputs DID NOT WORK with the Fearless 100% of the time and they BOTH crashed and burned. Stay with one kite for maximum efficiency. I remember Will Sturdy said to me "A kite is suppose to do what you tell it it to do." After several minutes on the Fearless. He did not like it. Takes time Mr. V. and alot of practice. Get a hold of Fearless Light and see if you like the smaller inputs but give it a month or two ...

Had a fabulous night ...Went to the Beach Ash, it's were I usually fly. Video's never show water which is to my south. Lake St. Clair.. Wind came off the water last night 4 mph steady...

I have prayed for nights like that... No one at the beach I had my P.A.system hooked up and music was loud. I flew and flew and flew till I could not see or move. almost 3 hrs. I couldn't stop.

It was nice not to PRACTICE .. I just flew. Some nice combo's and routines. I found myself more relaxed and at ease with the kite. I was doing FFF's about three feet off the ground and roll out without crashing. Nice smooth flat 540's..

No Camera JIMMER took home with him the other night. I have to go to the Kite Store Jim dropped it off there. ( half hour away )..

We R going tot he ball game tonight. Detroit vs. Cleveland. If you get the game..We are sitting behind the Tigers Dug Out first row. Hope to get a baseball.. Got one last year and the year before that I got TWO baseballs in one game... Yep !! Two.

My wife loves going to baseball games... So I get GREAT tickets for her... and I fly when I want. Even trade off.

Its good you realized ... it's the wind and not you ... flying in dirty wind is tough. However PRAYING should have nothing to do with it? ... search on-line for an hour by hour weather report that tracks speed and wind direction for THAT zipcode of Lake St. Clair. Usually wind speeds are reported for higher elevations than ground level so pay more attention to wind direction ... be there every time its SOUTH .

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